Broken
by lesfreakingmiz
Summary: A Combeferre Fanfiction
1. Preface

Preface:

The gleam in his grey eyes had expired as he watched the sky above him open up and the heavens shone down. With the musket wound tightly in his hand, he proceeded forward. Shots rung out and he watched man after man fall. He watched his friends fall before him and he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Dread washed over him with each body that fell. But, despite his feelings, he continued to move.

The layout had been simple. Each man had a job to do. They were all meticulously placed on the large compilation of their furniture, ready to fight. They had been trained as well as they could have been, but nothing had prepared them for this.

A bullet flew past his head and he heard a man cry out. Another man down and only a few remained. He didn't know who, though. He was unable to see anything beyond the smoke that filled the air.

That's when he saw him. In a cloud of smoke and fire, he saw him standing tall, holding tightly to the red square of fabric in his hand. He looked as if he were an angel, which he had been all along.

"VIVE LA FRANCE!" the angel cried out, gripping the fabric.

A shot was fired and the angel fell from the highest point.

He grabbed his chest and let out an estranged scream, falling onto his back. He was gone. There was nothing left o fight for.

In an instant, the man felt his heart being pierced, not by his emotions, but by a bullet. How did he end up here? He was supposed to be a savior. He was supposed to be their guide.

It felt as if it was a dream.

Was it?


	2. Chapter 1

Broken

Chapter 1

Combeferre shot up in his bed with a gasp. He felt a band of sweat on his forehead as he touched his hand to his head. The room he was sleeping in had stopped spinning just as he threw his legs over the bed. He turned his gaze around the room, wondering to himself how he had ended up in such a hole. There was an odd odor from the room that he thought could only be coming from the uncleanliness around the place as a whole. The paint was chipping away from the walls and the carpeted floor, which was once white, had turned an odd yellow color. The bed wasn't the least big comfortable. After all, it was just a hard cot with sheets and a pillow thrown over it. Still, he was just happy he had somewhere to stay.

When he was finally awake enough, he pushed himself from the bed and placed his blue jacket on that had been hanging on the chair adjacent from his bed. He buttoned it slowly as he slipped his shoes on and combed his hair. The brown bag that was hanging on the back of the door seemed to slip right onto his shoulder as his fingers brushed it. He made his way to the door, making sure to turn off the lights on his way out. He didn't want to have to pay extra for anything that was left undone.

He carefully made his way down the rusted stairs of the old inn he was staying at. The owners of the place let him stay for a small fee as long as he promised to stay out of trouble and out of their way. It had seemed easy enough because they were always busy conning other drunkards out of their money. Fortunately for Combeferre, drinking was never a thought in his mind. He didn't have time to waste on such primeval things.

As he stepped onto the cold ground of the first floor, he saw a figure lurking in a dark corner of the inn. He knew immediately what it was.

It was the innkeepers young girl, Eponine. Eponine Thenardier, he remembered. She was a soft, frail little thing that didn't talk to anyone. Her parents would scream and yell at her, and she would stay completely silent. He had never even seen a tear shed from her. She looked as if she was permanently hunched over and she carried a gray blanket on her back at all times. Combeferre knew she was cold and hungry, but he didn't know what he could do. He had made a promise to her parents to never interact with the family or their customers. So, he obliged to that and left her in the inn.

Of course he felt bad leaving her there. Combeferre had a conscience so big that guilt could tear him apart at any given time. But, he had to obey or else he was out of a home.

He decided to spend his day in the park behind a cafe called the Musain. Combeferre loved to read and write all kinds of things. In his life, diving into someone else's world was the only way to bring him sanity.

He passed by the cafe in such a rush that he almost didn't hear the arguing going on inside. There were no windows, so Combeferre was not able to peak through, but he could hear the voices clear as day. He didn't mean to, but his curiosity got the best of him and he listened just briefly to what they were saying.

"Why do you have to control everything?!" a man's voice yelled across the cafe. It almost startled Combeferre, but not as much as the second voice would.

"Control everything?" the second voice asked. His voice was low and steady, which filled Combeferre with unnecessary uneasiness. "Marius, I'm the only one who is giving any thought about everything that is happening."

"You're the only one. Of course you are." The man, Marius, Combeferre assumed, shot back. There was silence for a few moments before the low voice spoke again.

"I don't want to discuss this anymore. What I say goes. You understand? If you don't like it, then find someone else to stand with."

The voice that Combeferre heard was almost terrifying. He could hear the anger in it, but it was never raised above the normal conversational tone. That's what made it frightening.

One door slammed and then the front door of the Musain was opened. Combeferre quickly turned on his heel, hoping the man didn't see him. He started to walk towards the park before a voice stopped him.  
"You there," he said. Combeferre recognized Marius' voice, but he kept that to himself. He turned around to face the brown-haired man.

"Yes?" he asked, unsure of how his voice would sound out. Marius looked at Combeferre, his emerald eyes scanning each crevice.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice boomed over the empty streets. Combeferre stood taller on the walkway and cleared his throat.

"I was just going out back to read," he pulled up his bag, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he quickly apologized, hoping that would be the end of it. Marius chuckled softly and nodded his head towards the cafe.

"So, you heard us in there?" he asked. Combeferre, without thinking of course, nodded his head slowly. Marius shook his head and continued to chuckle. He held out his hand to Combeferre. "Marius Pontmercy," he said.

"Combeferre," Combeferre replied, returning the handshake.

"Just Combeferre?" he asked. Combeferre didn't give an answer that time. He just stared at this Marius. "Well, Combeferre, it's nice to meet you. I apologize that you had to hear whatever you heard. My friend is a little stubborn," he said.

"A little," Combeferre said sarcastically. Marius nodded and laughed with Combeferre.

"Hey, look, I've got to run. But it was nice meeting you. I'm sure I'll see you again sometime soon," Marius said, backing away from Combeferre. -  
"It was nice to meet you too," Combeferre replied, tightening the strap around his shoulder. Marius gave him one last smile before turning around to walk the other way.

Combeferre turned back to the cafe. He wanted so desperately to know what those men were talking about, and more importantly to find out who Marius' friend was.

Combeferre proceeded to the back of the Musain where he quickly found shade and sat himself down. Instead of reading his book like he had planned to, he took out his small pair of glasses and a notepad. He found a pen in the deep part of his bag and began scrawling quickly on the pad. His glasses would slide down every so often, but that didn't stop him.

For some reason, his mind wouldn't let him stop thinking about the dream he had the night before. He was standing atop of a barricade. The shots were firing at him, but he kept moving. He kept moving toward the angel in red, who fell right before his feet.

He had been having this dream for sometime now. But what did it mean? What could he have been fighting for that was so bad.

And who was this angel?


	3. Chapter 2

Broken

Chapter 2

The next day, Combeferre was committed to his same routine. After having his awful nightmare, he rose from his bed, grabbed his bag, quickly straightened himself up and made his way down the stairs.

Everything was quiet at the inn, so he thought he would make a quick escape.

Eponine, however, was still in the dark corner, and she was still watching him.

Combeferre again decided to ignore her, but she persisted and followed him outside.

"Excuse me?" the small, hollow voice said. Combeferre turned around quickly, not expecting such a fragile voice to come from the girl.

"Yes, Miss 'Ponine?" he asked. She looked down and moved a strand of hair from her face.  
"I didn't know you knew my name, sir," she said. He chuckled.  
"Of course I do, 'Ponine. Now, is there something you need?" he asked with a small smile on his face. She didn't look up for a moment, but when she did, Combeferre had finally seen her. She was pale as pale could be and bone skinny. It looked as if the girl didn't eat. Her left eye and right cheek were bruised very badly, but she stood as tall as she could. She held onto her stomach, like she was afraid of someone seeing her imperfections anywhere else on her body. It was almost as if she was trying to hide herself from the world. She looked as if she wanted to.

"I saw you go to the cafe down the road," Eponine's rustic voice said. Combeferre nodded.

"Yes, I go there every afternoon to read and write and stay out of your parents way," he joked. Eponine didn't find it amusing and he wondered if she knew how to laugh at all.

"I know some of the boys there," she said. "They're all very good friends."

This surprised Combeferre.

"Boys? There are more? I only heard of two," he said.

"Who?" she asked.

"Well, I met Marius Pontmercy yesterday, and..." he trailed off as he saw a light form in Eponine's dark eyes. Half of her mouth turned up into a crooked smile.

"You met Marius," she said. Combeferre could see something was there by the look on her face. He smiled.

"Yes, I met Marius. But the other boy I did not meet," he said quickly.

After a minute of quiet, Eponine opened her mouth to speak again.

"How about you come by here earlier tonight. I can take you to the cafe," she said.

"It looks like an old abandoned cafe to me," he said, "it doesn't seem like much goes on there."

Eponine smirked quite a bit as she made her way back into the inn.

"Oh, it does. Trust me. I'll see you here by supper," she said and closed the door of the inn. Combeferre turned back around, not quite sure what to make out of the girl, but he continued walking.

He passed boys on the streets, students he assumed, every day, but he had never given a second thought to it. He just continued past them. He had never stayed around the cafe after dark. He always went back to the inn, was fed dinner and then went to his room without another word. It was his daily routine and he never thought anything of it.

So, he went to his same place in the same yard of the same cafe. He hadn't heard any voices when he passed the cafe, so he figured that Marius and the other boy were long gone. Until that night, anyway.

By the time the sun began to set, Combeferre made his way away from the cafe and onto the street. He planned to go home, but was stopped when he saw a couple of students walking towards him. He recognized them from the street, but as he watched each of them step into the cafe, he knew he was in for a whole other world.

He finally reached the inn and saw the Thenardier girl waiting outside for him.

"I told my father you wouldn't be in for the evening," Eponine said quietly. Combeferre nodded, placing his hand on her back and walking forward with her.

"So do you know all of these boys?" he asked her when they were away from the inn. She nodded.

"Most of them," she stated. Some of them are quiet and the others just love to drink. But their leader..." she trailed off. He wondered if that was the man that Marius had been talking to the day before.

"What about their leader?" he asked. Eponine sighed.

"His name is Enjolras. He's the 'leader in red' so to speak. He's very demanding and has never been very nice," she explained.

"What are they meeting about? Why do they need a leader?" Combeferre's head was full with unanswered questions now. Eponine looked straight forward.

"You'll see," she answered.

As they approached the cafe, the sun had just set and the streets of Paris were almost pitch black. The lights in the cafe glowed throughout the darkened street. They could hear laughter of the men inside and Eponine smiled to herself.

"This way," she instructed, leading him into one set of doors. He followed behind her, but not directly.

"Oh, look! It's 'Ponine!" a man said with slurred speech.

"Eponine!" a banter of drunken men yelled as Eponine stepped through the second set of doors. Combeferre found himself smiling at this. It was nice for him to know that Eponine was loved somewhere.  
"R, you know Enjolras will not be happy when he sees you like this," Eponine scolded as Combeferre stepped through the doors.

"That's if he even shows up," he slurred.

"Yeah, he wasn't here last night," a curly-haired boy added.

"Neither was Pontmercy," a tall, lanky boy said.

"That's odd," Eponine said to herself. She seemed cool and comfortable here. She didn't seem so fragile like she did at their home.

"'Ponine," the man with the drink in his hand whispered loudly to Eponine, pointing at Combeferre.

"Guys," Eponine said, walking closer to Combeferre and pulling his arm towards the center of the room, "this is Combeferre. He has been staying at my parents inn for quite some time now," she explained.

"And you're just now introducing us?" a shorter man states with a chuckle in his voice. Combeferre stood straight as the man approached him. "I'm Bahorel," he said, shaking Combeferre's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Combeferre replied.

"Hey, don't be nervous around us, mate," a taller, bald man said. "we're all pretty nice. I'm Bossuet," he said.

The men all introduced themselves one by one. Joly, Feuilly, Courfeyrac, Grantaire, and Jean Prouvaire. But he knew the two that were missing.

"Has anyone heard from Enjolras or Marius today?" Courfeyrac asked loudly. The room stayed silent.

"When Enjolras isn't here, Courfeyrac is in charge. But Enjolras is always here, so this is different," Eponine whispered to Combeferre. He stared at Courfeyrac. He was a small boy with curly black hair and big dark eyes. He had a look to him that told Combeferre that people had to love him. He looked sweet and innocent, like most of the boys sitting at the tables.

"This is so odd. Two nights in a row?" Grantaire slurred.

"Do you always drink this much?" Combeferre blurted out. He looked around quickly, not meaning to say a word, and some of the boys began to laugh.

"Asking if Grantaire drinks this much. That's classic," Bahorel joked, grabbing a bottle from the table and handing it to Combeferre. He politely shook his head no.

"I'm sorry, I don't drink," Combeferre stated. Bahorel laughed as he retracted his arm.

"Spend a few nights around Enjolras and you will," he said, walking back to his seat. Combeferre turned his gaze to Eponine who was staring outside of one of the windows. Combeferre tried to follow her eyes and he saw a shadowed figure walking towards the cafe doors. Eponine's mouth was open, just barely, as she stared out. Her eyes were wide with amazement and Combeferre had an idea of who was coming. Everyone in that cafe knew who was coming in.

Marius pushed the doors open with the biggest smile on his face. The men all giggled as he made his way to the table which held the alcohol and Combeferre sat, waiting for the first person to speak.  
"Where have you been, Pontmercy?" Grantaire asked first. Marius smiled as he poured himself a glass of wine.

"Nowhere in particular," Marius asked. The smile on his face grew like he was a small child with a big secret he wasn't allowed to tell.

"Then why do you have that smirk on your face?" asked Feuilly. Everyone, including Combeferre, nodded in agreement. Marius looked around him, the smile remaining, and shook his head.  
"What? I'm not allowed to be happy?" he asked. Grantaire crossed his arms.

"No. Now where were you? And where is Enjolras?"  
"He's not here?" Marius' smile disappeared as he searched around the cafe.

"No. He wasn't here last night, either. Which brings me back to my question. Where were you last night /and/ tonight?" Grantaire scolded. Marius dropped his glass on the counter.

"What are you, my father?" He asked.

"Maybe you need one," Grantaire retorted as Marius stepped closer to him. Courfeyrac jumped form his seat, nearly spilling his wine on everyone around him, to get to Marius.

"Just answer the question, Marius," Courfeyrac said with a hand on his chest. Eponine stood from the table and walked over to Marius, too.

"I would like to know where you were, Marius," Eponine said quietly. This was the Eponine Combeferre was used to. Shy and quiet.

"Oh, hi, 'Ponine. It's good to see you," Marius responded. He looked around the cafe once more, and his gaze locked on Combeferre's when he saw him.

"Well, I told you I'd see you again, didn't I?" Marius asked, walking over to Combeferre and shaking his hand.

"That you did," Combeferre replied with a smile. Marius turned back to the cafe and took a deep breath in.

"Well, I guess I can tell you all while Enjolras isn't here. I...well...I've met someone," he let out. Combeferre's eyes immediately went to Eponine, who looked like she wanted to crumble in the middle of the cafe altogether. He had seen her been hit, pushed and bruised all at once, but he had never seen the pained expression that occupied her face at that moment.

"A girl?" Grantaire asked. Marius chuckled. Sweat began to drip from his forehead from the nervous feeling he had telling his friends about this.

"Yes, a girl," Marius said.

"What's her name?" Courfeyrac asked, walking closer to him. Marius' expression contorted to confusion as he searched for an answer.

"I...I don't know," he admitted.

"But you're in love?" Combeferre asked. Marius whipped his head up and stared at Combeferre.

"I didn't say I was in love," he said. Combeferre shrugged his shoulders.  
"I've seen that look on your face before on someone very close to me," he said, his gaze once again turning to Eponine. Eponine half-smiled at him, but he could tell it was fake. Combeferre quickly stood up from his chair and walked over to Eponine.

"How about we go back to the inn," he whispered to her. She looked up at him and nodded.

"Thank you, sir," she answered quiet as a mouse.

"Don't call me sir, dear Eponine," he smiled vaguely at her. Combeferre placed his hand on her back and started to lead her out of the cafe.

"Leaving so soon?" Courfeyrac asked.

"Eponine's not feeling well," Combeferre stated quickly.

"Everything alright, 'Ponine?" Marius asked, touching her shoulder.

"I just need some rest, Marius," Eponine answered, her voice still timid.

"I thought I would take her back to the inn," Combeferre added. Marius nodded his head.

"That would be best. Feel better, Eponine. See you tomorrow?" Marius said sweetly. Eponine nodded quickly. "Combeferre, we'd like to see you back tomorrow, as well. Enjolras should be here, so maybe you could finally meet him," Marius said. Combeferre nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," he answered.

"Feel better, 'Ponine!" the boys called as Combeferre and Eponine walked out of the cafe.

"Thank you for getting me out of there," Eponine said. Combeferre shook his head.

"Don't mention it," he answered quickly. "I couldn't stand to see that look on your face for another minute."

"I just love him so much," Eponine admitted to him. Combeferre sighed as they continued to walk.

"I know, Eponine. I know. But you're a beautiful girl. You are going to find someone who is just right for you, I promise you that," he advised. He could see a smile appear on Eponine's face.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked, her voice quiet again. He chuckled and nodded.

"Very. Especially with that smile on your face," he said. Eponine giggled.

"Combeferre, you're making me blush." she said, pushing him gently. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "I'm thinking this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Combeferre chuckled and set his arm around his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind that," he teased. She pushed him away from her again. They were about to reach the inn. The lights were off in it, so he figured the Thenardiers must have been asleep. He stopped Eponine under a lit streetlamp and touched her shoulders.

"Now, Eponine, your parents cannot know where we were tonight. They cannot know we were together and they cannot know about our friendship. Do you understand?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes, but why?" she asked. He sighed.

"I made them a deal a long time ago. Why do you think I haven't taken the time to get to know you? I'm supposed to leave you and your parents alone and not talk to you," he explained. Eponine nodded.

"Your secret is safe with me," she said with a smile. "I'll go in first."

She turned to walk away, taking back the hunch in her shoulders and walking slowly. She turned back around and smiled at Combeferre.

"See you tomorrow," she smiled as she slipped through the doors of the inn.

Combeferre nodded. As he began to walk into the inn, something to his right caught his eye. He slightly turned his head to exam the figure and saw it was a tall man with long curly blond hair. He was wearing a red jacket and staring at Combeferre. Combeferre began to tear his gaze away from the man, but something stopped him. The man across the street turned on his heel quickly once Combeferre met his gaze and walked away, almost running.

A face flashed in his mind. Combeferre had seen that man before somewhere. His crystal blue eyes were piercing his grey ones and he felt as if he couldn't move.

Had that been the angel Combeferre had seen in so many of his dreams? And if it was, who was he exactly?


End file.
